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Takeomi Kashima, the baritone of the male chorus group Bonny Jacks, died of a brainstem hemorrhage at a hospital in Saitama on Thursday. He was 90.
The Bonny Jacks formed in 1958 by Waseda University Glee Club members.
The group, along with the four-member group Dark Ducks from Keio University, created a boom in male voice chorus groups.
Kashima, also known by his nickname Tora-san, was one of the founding members of the group. They had a string of hits, including “Kitakiko” (1961), “Chiisai Aki Mitsuketa” (1962), “Biwako Shuko no Uta” (1962) and “Mozu ga Kareki de” (1963).
Even after the death of the group’s tenor, Hisao Nishiwaki, in 2021, the remaining three members of the group continued to perform together on stage, according to the Singers Association of Japan.
Kashima made a lively appearance at the 50th Japan Singers Association song festival in July last year but was hospitalized afterwards.
On the day of his death, he was in good condition when his family visited him in the hospital. They conversed and said, “See you tomorrow.” But after his family left the hospital, his condition suddenly deteriorated and he passed away, according to the association.
